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World War 2:
Cause of WWI:
• The assassination of Franz Ferdinand-heir to Hungarian throne-June 28th 1914
• Shot by Gavrilo Princip, member of Serbian Terrorist group “the black hand”
• Austria-Hungary blames Serbia- they send an ultimatum: arrest all black hand
members, apologize, allow Austrians into Serbia to monitor
• Serbia refuses so, Austria-Hungary declare war on Serbia
• Serbia seeks help from Russia
• Russia declare war on Austria-Hungary & Germany
• Germany declares war on Russia
• France & Britian declare war on Austria-Hungary
• Canada dragged into war, being apart of the british empire
Triple Alliance: Austria-Hungary, Germany & Italy (though Italy soon reatreats and
switches over)
Triple Entent: France, Great Britain and Russia
1) Imperialism
2) Nationalism
3) Militarism
4) Alliances
Ypres 1915:
• Canda’s first major act
• Mission: Hold 3.5km of Front line
• 5200 Canadians died
• chlorine & mutsard gas attack first used
Vimy Ridge:
• major turning point in war
• high point of Canadian achievement
• German highly defended hill
• Britain tried many times to capture
• Arthur Currie (Canada general) planned attack
• Took over hill
Passchendale:
• Haig wanted to take over Belgium in 1917
• Canadians crawled waist deep in mud
• Only fifth of the force was alive
• Casualties: 15654
Conscription in WW1:
• On May 18, 1917 Borden announced a new policy of conscription.
• Military Service Bill was passed a month later, making military service compulsory for
all men between 20 and 45 years.
• Half of all Canadians opposed Borden’s bill. French Canadians rioted in Montreal.
• Henri Bourassa and Sir Wilfrid Laurier were against Military Service Bill. Bill was passed
August 1917.
When first group of men were called many tried to be exempt and others disappeared.
There was rioting and looting of businesses.
Trench Warefare WWI:
• Trench mouth- disease that occurs in your mouth from lack of hygene in trenches
• Trench foot: rotting of the skin in between your toes due to wet boots in trenches
• Shell shock: a mental disease for various different reasons when living in trenches
• Machine guns
• Shovels
• Infested with rats and insects who carried diseases
War at Home:
• War Measures Act
• Victory bonds
• Food, gas and aluminum used sparingly so could be sent to Europe
• Suspicion of spies
• Xenophobia: fear of people who don’t look like you: dislike of foreigners
• Conscription Crisis: Robert Borden Prime Minister during WWI
• French Canadians against conscription
End of WWI:
Treaty of Versailles : Canada signed peace treaty which applied to Germany. Guaranteed
Canada a seat in the vote of the new league of nations. Meant to ensure that World War 1
would be the “war to end all wars.” Treaty placed severe restrictions on German armed
forces, forcing the German’s economy to suffer.
Treaty Stated:
1. Germany must accept the independence of Poland, Austria & Czechoslovakia
2. Poland allowed to pass through Polish corridor
3. Germany must give up all colonies and over seas possessions
4. After march 1920, German military restraints (very little army)
5. Germany must face War Guilt Clause
6. Germany must pay all reparations in all countries fought in
7. Germany must guarantee this will all happen
War Veterans
• 70 000 returned, either injured or disabled, got job training
• free medical care for veterans
• many could not find jobs
• Vets. Has unemployment insurance
• Many wanted social programmes (old age pension for everyone)
World War 2
Causes of WWII:
1) The Treaty of Versailles (Germany’s humiliation)
2) Conditions in Germany after WWI
3) The rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party during the late 1930’s
4) The policy of Appeasement
• Inflation and problems with German finances
• Great depression and vast unemployment
• Political instability inside of Germany
Important terms:
• Fascism: intense nationalism and elitism. Wanting total control over everything and
everyone. Interest of the states more important then rights. Maintain a class system and
private ownership.
• Nazism: Fascism, extreme hatred of Jews. Highly nationalistic. Total conformity, Total
control of media, literature, ideas. Induce terror and fear.
• Communism: based on equality in all aspects, totalitarianism, states controls all
• Anti-Semitism: Hatred of Jews
Leaders in WWII:
Benito Mussolini-Italy-Facist-1922-1943
Adolf Hitler-Germany-Nazi-1933-1945
Joseph Stalin-Soviet Union (Russia)-Communist- 1927-1953
Winston Churchill- British-Democratic Monarch
Mackenzie King- Canadian-Democrat
Roosevelt- American-Democrat
Truman- American (VP. Pres. After Roosevelt dies)-Democrat
Conscription in WW2:
• Canada had been torn apart by conscription in World War 1. Mackenzie King said that
no Canadians would be conscripted in World War II.
• Hitler’s Victory in Europe caused the National Resources Mobilization Act and men could
be conscripted but only for defense within Canada. These men were called “Zombies”
because people felt they were less than patriotic.
•Mackenzie King let Canadians vote as to whether he could be allowed to break his
promise that there would be no conscription and the people voted in his favor and
released him from his promise
• Mackenzie King finally agreed to conscript men as war was winding down.
The Holocaust:
• blamed Jews for the death of Christ
• killed Jews, and other disabled or elderly Germans
• 3 million Jews in Poland sent to “ghettos”
• 600,000 died
• 1941: Hitler decided 5 million Russian Jews must die
• 1941: Hitler thinks Germany could lose, gassing Jews to kill them is the “final solution”
• 1942 Wannsee conference (met for 90 mins) decided on gassing Jews
• Death Camps located in: Sobibor, Maidanes, Treblinka & Aushwitz
• 10% went to work camps, all others killed
• 6 million European Jews died total
WW2 Timeline:
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm